It took a formidable group to wrestle this story out of my mind and onto the page. I am eternally grateful for everyone who sacrificed their time and efforts. This book wouldn’t exist without them. Julie Stevenson is everything I ever wanted in an agent—smart, savvy, energetic, and kind. The entire staff at Sobel Weber was also first-rate during my time there. Nat Sobel, Judith Weber, Sara Henry, Siobhan McBride, and Adia Wright all have my enduring gratitude. Many thanks to Ivan Held and the rest of the team at G. P. Putnam’s Sons for letting me keep doing this. I’m beyond lucky to have an editor like Sara Minnich, who is brilliant, patient, and hits nothing but home runs. Putnam’s Bonnie Rice, Alexis Sattler, Patricja Okuniewska, Ashley Hewlett, and Martin Karlow (among others) got their hands dirty in order to make my book better. Beth Parker is an independent PR dynamo and went above and beyond the call of duty (hire her!).
On the home front, Sarah Aswell, Dan Brooks, Ben Fowlkes, Erika Fredrickson, and Melissa Stephenson all suffered through very early drafts. Their questions, comments, and concerns were invaluable as ever. Top-notch journalist and all-around super guy Nate Schweber consulted on the proper ways to report on an arson. Josh Manning and Jonathan Snowden were my military advisers. Their manuscript notes said stuff like “Pretty sure you’d get your ass kicked if you talked like this in the army.” I owe them both big-time. Grady Gadbow, Jason McMackin, and Leif Fredrickson are far manlier than I am and corrected me on calibers of firearms and the logistics of hunting trips. Courtney Ellis is my partner, best friend, and the brains of our little operation. She makes me feel lucky every single day. As ever, any mistakes in these pages are entirely my own.